How Spider-Man: Homecoming References A Classic Comic Scene

Spider-Man: Homecoming is finally out in theaters and director Jon Watts as well as Marvel Studio chief Kevin Feige discussed one iconic emotional scene from the film that was mined straight from the pages of the comic books. This third and current iteration of the web-slinging superhero is embodied by the young actor, Tom Holland as he tries to level up from being a street hero to a superhero in the same world where the rest of the Avengers exist.

Homecoming’s early reviews often applauded its on-point tone and effective humor fitting for the coming-of-age vibe Watts was going for. But the film was also balanced in terms of intense emotional sequences that help ground its narrative in a way to present the stakes are actually high and Peter’s struggles are legitimate. By the third act of the film, upon knowing that the Vulture (Michael Keaton) is actually the father of the girl he is in love with, the young hero faces a dilemma about wanting to do the right thing but not wanting to cause Liz (Laura Harrier) any pain. During the tense encounter with the villain, Peter finds himself buried under a pile of rubble – without his special suit to help him get out. Just when he’s about to lose hope he sees his reflection – half Spider-Man and half Peter Parker, and gains renewed determination to get out of his predicament to stop the Vulture from his evil plans.

The sequence, as revealed by Watts in a recent interview with Fandango, is taken from a specific Spider-Man comic – Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 Issue 33, released in February 1966:

“Issue 33. That’s like especially [memorable] if you’re an old school Spider-Man fan. That’s one of the best, most iconic images ever – one of the best Steve Ditko illustrations. That’s Spider-Man. To be able to recreate that in this movie was an honor.”

Feige, being a huge comic book fan himself, added that the sequence was something he had been wanting to see in a Spider-Man film for the longest time and gave props to Holland for bringing that comic spread to life:

“That rubble lift from [issue] 33 is something I’ve wanted to see in a movie for a long, long time. Seeing what Tom [Holland] does with it is amazing.”

The folks behind Homecoming were so determined to work the scene into the film that the exec further shared they worked backwards from there just to make sure it’s tied in organically and does not feel shoehorned:

“When we were developing it, we didn’t know if it would work when [Toomes] opens the door. If that didn’t work, the movie didn’t work. We worked backwards and forwards from that moment. It was like two movies – it was the movie up until then and the movie after that moment. Because it had to surprise you, but it had to be true, also. You had to believe that we had set it up so that you would buy it [and it] doesn’t seem like something out of left field. That’s a pretty great moment and we didn’t know until we showed it to audiences and every time it was like, “(Gasps),” and then you knew it was okay.”

Holland’s performance in the specific scene is truly remarkable. If anything, his stint in J.A. Bayona’s real-life catastrophe film The Impossible is a testament to his acting range. He is able to embody the quippy and youthful personality of Spider-Man, as well as, Peter’s more emotional and burdened side.

The huge twist of Adrian Toomes actually being Liz’s dad is something that added a new dynamic to the already entertaining film at that point. It not only ups the ante in terms of the superhero aspect of Spider-Man: Homecoming, it also gives a nod to the usual romantic trope of meeting your date’s dad on prom night. It is no secret that the project drew some flak for its supposedly too spoiler-y trailers. Watts acknowledged the backlash saying that there are still a lot of surprises hidden in the film. Sure enough, there are still a lot of reveals in the film, fortunately including its biggest plot twist.